Fireflies
by zomg.it's.rin
Summary: Confused and disoriented with all the newness of Camp Half-Blood life, Percy heads to the beach to try to sort things out in his mind. Only,  he's not the only one there in the middle of the night. Short one-shot with Luke/Percy pairing.


_Hello there. This be Rin, your author for this little one-shot based off Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Bear in mind that it contains the Lukercy pairing (However short their 'moment') and hints slightly at adult themes. Having said that, I do hope you enjoy this. Or, y'know, if you don't, just leave me a comment on how I can improve._

_(I obviously **do not own PJO**, or anything awesome like that. I wouldn't be here if I was already some bada** writer, no?)_

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**Fireflies: A Lukercy Fanfic**

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_**You would not believe your eyes**_

_**If ten million fireflies**_

_**Lit up the world as I fell asleep.**_

A faint silhouette could be seen starkly painted against the night sky, slowly making its way down a beaten path headed for the beach. On closer inspection, the shadowy figure was of medium build with messy jet-black hair that blended in well with the darkness around him. Once in a while, though, a flash of white sneaker or bright-colored shirt could be seen as he walked. Probably not more than twelve or thirteen years of age, the boy moved cautiously, not daring to make a single sound as he resolutely headed for the long strip of beach that bordered camp. He wasn't too sure he was allowed out at this time, or if he was even walking in the right direction. He just trusted his senses to take him where he wanted to go: The sea.

_**'Cause they'd fill the open air**_

_**And leave teardrops everywhere**_

_**You'd think me rude, but I would just stand and stare.**_

The heaviness in the young boy's heart seemed to lift just a tiny bit when he got close enough to the ocean to smell its tangy saltiness in the air. The wind whipping through his already-tousled hair threw it in every direction possible. As the coarse grass beneath his feet transitioned to sand, he started walking faster; the sound of the crashing waves greeted him, and he broke out into a run. A new, unexplained anxiousness blossomed within his chest - What if he wasn't able to find the sea? What if he was heading in the wrong direction after all? What if he never got to even touch the water? But then, as he crested a small, sandy hill, the trees on each side of him abruptly fell away to reveal a sparkling landscape of dark blue water.

_**'Cause I get a thousand hugs**_

_**From ten thousand lightning bugs**_

_**As they try to teach me how to dance.**_

The moment he could see the vast ocean, the boy's entire mind went blank. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in his mind, turning off every worrisome thought to be replaced with a warm, comforting numbness. The sensation was very much welcome after the crazy few days he'd just had. Everything that had happened lately was just so unbelievable; his brain was having a hard time accepting what his eyes were forced to take in on a daily basis. Monsters that had previously existed only in stories and myths were now real things; creatures that were actual threats to them, who would chase and kill them at every opportunity it had. Combat training, sword fighting, archery practice; they'd only existed in the boy's wildest dreams before. Now, they were becoming a part of his everyday life. And oh, dear gods, the people that he'd met so far. They were all just so... Unbelievable.

_**A foxtrot above my head,**_

_**A sock hop beneath my bed,**_

_**A disco ball is just hanging by a thread.**_

Feeling calmer and more in control than he'd ever been in what seemed like a long time, the boy started forwards along the sand again. He was determined to go to the water now - he didn't understand why it was such an attraction to him, but the sea just sang out and called him nearer, nearer, nearer. The crunching of his shoes on the sand became soft squelching when he reached the water's edge. He then bent down in trepidation, his fingers extended and within inches of the rippling water. When he touched it, surely everything would be alright again. When he touched it, surely some semblance of reality would make sense to him again. When he touched it, surely-

"_Percy?_" a voice called out suddenly. The boy jumped and, because of his unstable position in the shifting wet sands, fell backwards onto the ground. "What are you _doing_ out here? It's almost two in the morning," Why did that voice sound so very familiar? Percy, lying flat on his back on the wet sand, with his sneakers getting soaked, couldn't connect the voice to a face. He felt dazed, like someone had awoken him up from a satisfying dream. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a tall figure before a hand was thrust in his face, offering him support to get up from his spread-eagled position.

_**Leave my door open just a crack**_

_**'Cause I feel like such an insomniac**_

_**Why do I tire of counting sheep?**_

_**When I'm far too tired to fall asleep.**_

Inexplicably annoyed, Percy reached up to grab the extended arm and hauled himself upright again. The same hand let go of him once he was sufficiently balanced, and proceeded to brush off some of the sand now attached to every bit of his clothes. Disoriented, Percy swung around in the wrong direction, trying to find the source of the thus-far-disembodied voice.

"Whoa, Perce. I'm right here," came the voice again and Percy stopped his mad swaying. Frowning, he squinted at the person in front of him and the figure's face gradually became clearer to his vision. When he could finally identify the stranger, Percy took two astonished steps backwards.

"_Luke?_" he exclaimed. "W-What are _you_ doing here?"

Luke shook his head, his small smile glinting in the dull moonlight. "I asked you first,"

"I, uh..." Percy's hand flew to rub at the back of his neck, feeling gritty sand dislodging as he did so. "I couldn't sleep," Well, it was better than telling an outright lie, at least. A half-truth was much less likely to get exposed.

"Really?" Luke replied. Percy could feel the older boy's inquisitive stare burning at his skin, so he tilted his head up to look confidently back at Luke, trying to demonstrate a sense of honesty he did not feel.

"I couldn't sleep either," Luke said after a short pause. "So I came here to work off some energy,"

"Better than counting sheep, I'm sure," he continued on, gesturing at the wide expanse of sea in front of them. "But all I've done so far is wake myself up even more. And meeting you, obviously," At this, he ducked his head slightly, indicating that it was Percy's turn to spin his tale.

_**To ten million fireflies**_

_**I'm weird 'cause I hate good-byes**_

_**I got misty eyes as they said farewell.**_

Suddenly, Percy didn't feel like telling anymore untruths. He'd explain himself to Luke, even though it wasn't exactly necessary. But he felt so tired of living a life that had lately become so utterly mythical that he didn't see the harm in wanting some normalcy.

"I've been thinking about mom, actually. And camp. And whatever the hell that's been going on in my life. Stuff, basically," He spoke in a rush, getting his words out before he had time to regret opening up to Luke. He tacked the last bit on as an afterthought, because his whole confession seemed a little too lame without some nonchalance.

Suddenly, a cloud moved to cover the moon, throwing everything into darkness even more profound than before.

"Ah. That. Well, we all have our moments, Percy," Luke said in a quiet, halting voice. "But if you ever get a chance to go for her - your mother, I mean - don't hesitate. If you throw an opportunity away, it might never come around again," Then, he settled his arm around Percy's shoulder, pressing the younger boy against his side as the both of them gazed at the momentarily-moonless sky. It was meant to be a simple brotherly gesture, but somehow Percy felt so much more comforted by it than he should've been. Unnoticed, Percy shifted his weight so that he was leaning heavily to his left, towards Luke.

_**But I'll know where several are**_

_**If my dreams get real bizarre**_

_**'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar.**_

"Oh, hey, look," Luke's voice reverberated through his chest so Percy could feel his skin vibrating, too. "Fireflies,"

Percy turned his head to follow Luke's pointing finger, directed at a clump of bushes behind and to the left of them. True enough, little specks of light were darting in and out of the leaves, the only source of luminance for miles. Percy stared at the bright bugs as they flitted about, mesmerized.

"Cool," he breathed softly. He'd never seen fireflies before. He'd always lived in a city, for goodness sake. There weren't fireflies in cities, ever.

"They're okay," Luke shrugged, his chest bumping against Percy's back. He hadn't taken his arm off the boy's shoulder.

_**I'd like to make myself believe**_

_**That planet Earth turns slowly**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

_**'Cause everything is never as it seems.**_

Percy felt his neck burn every time Luke's body came into contact with his, however light the touch. He couldn't understand his own jumbled thoughts, which seemed to get crazier and crazier by the second. All he was aware of was the fact that he'd just gambled his ego by letting his true feelings be known to Luke, and the older boy had responded magnificently. He hadn't laughed, or scoffed at Percy. In fact, he'd understood Percy's feelings exactly; the reply he'd given was tactful and good enough to put Percy's jangled nerves at ease. Even Percy himself was surprised - he hadn't expected two simple sentences to be so effective in granting him peace. For that, he was immensely grateful to Luke. No, he was, in fact, so much more than grateful. His feelings for Luke's brilliancy were not even expressible through words anymore.

Percy tilted his head upwards to look at Luke, but the older boy's attention was still with the fireflies. Percy glanced at the glowing bush for a moment, then did the maddest thing he'd ever done in his whole entire life: He kissed Luke. Not on the lips, no; Percy raised himself up on the tips of his feet and fluidly leaned sideways to settle his lips on Luke's exposed neck. The bared skin was smooth and glowing even in the cover of darkness; so tantalizing, so inviting, that Percy could not help himself. He was completely out-of-control of his own movements. It was his subconscious which made the decision for him instead.

The moment his lips came into contact with Luke's skin, though, he came crashing down to reality again. The sensation of the unknown under one of the few most sensitive parts of his body gave him a sudden rush of boldness. This. This felt so right. This felt so... Normal. It was as if this was something they'd just been biding their time for. Just watching days pass by, waiting for this moment.

But why was Luke so tense under his lips, then, if this was so real to Percy? The boy could feel it - Luke's entire body had gone rigid and every vein in his neck stood out as he strained away from the unexpected kiss. Luke's arm fell away from Percy's shoulder, and the boy felt a sharp sense of rejection. It was maddening, these sudden, wild emotions. He felt as if he might explode at any moment.

Luke pulled Percy away from him, putting a short distance between their bodies. Percy bit down on his bottom lip, frowning as he tried to interpret Luke's reactions. To him, the kiss had been perfect. Nothing could be better than it. But did Luke think the same? Honestly, what had he been thinking? Did Percy really expect this almost-stranger to be able to reciprocate some crazy feelings that he himself did not understand? They'd only known each other for a short while, after all. It hadn't been that long since Percy had tumbled into camp, after his mom got snatched away. Only a few days, really, even though it felt as if he'd known Luke for much longer.

_**I'd like to make myself believe**_

_**That planet Earth turns slowly**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

_**Because my dreams are bursting at the seams.**_

As Percy stared up into Luke's eyes, uncomprehending, he thought saw a swift change come over Luke's guarded expression. What was that new light in Luke's eyes? The one which looked a lot like... Excitement? Amazement? Was it possible? Was it even possible that he'd-

Luke closed the small gap between the two of them so suddenly, Percy almost missed the movement. One moment, Luke was an arm's length away and the next, he was right in Percy's face with his fingers gripped tightly around the younger boy's upper arms. For the span of a heartbeat, Percy was afraid. Afraid of what Luke might do. Afraid that Luke would hit him, or fling him into the sea. He had no doubt that Luke certainly had the strength to do both.

But what was this? Luke was moving closer - if that was even possible, the way they were already pressed together - and bending his face downwards to Percy's. He hesitated just before his lips could come into contact with any part of Percy's face and the younger boy, impatient and bursting with a sense of uncertainty, raised himself up again to connect their lips instead. This time, their kiss lasted much longer than the first peck. This time, fireworks exploded beneath Percy's eyelids and his heart thudded tremendously in his ribcage. This time, Luke was actually involved with the kiss; even that alone sent Percy's thoughts trickling off into nothingness and all he was focused on was the here and now. Because what else mattered, when what you were doing at the moment was something that had risen from deep within you to set itself free? What else mattered, than the two of them, so closely fitted against each other that they could each feel the other's every slight move? What else mattered, when all there was in the world was Luke and Percy, together?

The answer was 'nothing'. Truly, nothing mattered at that moment, when Percy felt as if he'd discovered something so new, yet so familiar. His mom? She could wait. There was nothing he could do right now, anyway. His mind was so much more preoccupied with the task at hand...

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

_**'Cause everything is never as it seems.**_


End file.
